The Darkest Secret
Book #7 of the Lords of the Underworld Series
Publisher: Harlequin (March 2011)
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 410 (paperback)
Source: Personal Library
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Rating: ★★★½☆ (3.5 stars)
Summary
Keeper of the demon of Secrets, Amun can manipulate the darkest thoughts of anyone nearby. But when new demons possess him, the immortal warrior must be chained and isolated to protect those he loves. Death is his only hope of release—until he meets Haidee, a fellow prisoner whose beauty and hidden vulnerability draw him into a reckless test of his loyalty…
Haidee is an infamous demon assassin, raised to despise Amun’s kind. Yet how can she hate the man whose touch sets her aflame? But to save him, she must give herself body and soul…and face the wrath of a powerful adversary sworn to destroy her.
The Good
Amun is on the brink of madness. Hundreds of crazy demons have taken up residence in his head. But when Strider, the keeper of Defeat, captures Haidee, a Hunter, and brings her to the Lord’s fortress, Amun’s demons go quiet. But how can the notorious Haidee, the one who killed one of the Lord’s friends, be his salvation? No matter the reason, Amun has a connection with Haidee, both mentally and physically, and she may be the only one who can save his sanity. Unfortunately, this requires a trip to hell. While Haidee and Amun slowly fall for each other, their descent into hell brings them closer to a possible death sentence.
It was great to finally get Amun’s story. He has always been so far in the background he might as well have been furniture. The dude can’t talk, what did you expect? But Showalter did a great job with the telepathic communication that flowed flawlessly and was in no way confusing to the reader.
I was pleasantly surprised that Showalter found a way to redeem Haidee. Up until now all we knew about her was that she was the despised Hunter who killed Baden, the once upon a time keeper of the demon Distrust. But Showalter did a beautiful job of creating a believable story and background that actually makes you feel bad for Haidee. Let’s just say she had a very good reason to hate the Lords.
I liked Amun and Haidee as characters and as a couple. Amun, the strong, silent type, not that he has much of a choice. *snickers* But it’s Haidee who you fall in love with. Her character was wonderfully flushed out and her connection with Amun makes her even more endearing.
The side story with Strider was very entertaining. The story as a whole was well plotted and action-packed. Some of the parts in hell lagged a little but were overall entertaining. The four horsemen of the Apocalypse really interest me. I hope to see them further on in the series. The love story was cute and the fighting was stress-inducing, as it should be.
The revelations genuinely surprised me, which is quite a feat since I am pretty good at correctly guessing my way through a book’s plot. Some writers just make things so obvious, not Showalter though. She knows how to keep the mystery.
The Bad
Some of the explanations for certain things (things I can’t mention without revealing too much) were lacking for me. I just didn’t buy the reasoning behind them. Plus, I was left with a question or two at the end. I wish some parts of the book were explained better.
The inner monologue was too much for me and it slowed down the action. The constant internal talk sometimes went on for pages. Yeah, not good.
The Snuggly
Let’s just say there is a lot of sex in the second half of the book. It was well done and what you would expect from Showalter who usually has lots of fairly descriptive sex in her books.
Overall
Was it the best book of the series? No. But I was thoroughly entranced with the story as it unfolded. I’m happy Amun finally got the limelight. I find the Lords that tend to waffle in the background the most fascinating because they usually have some great secrets to reveal and some pent up energy sorely in need of release. Oh yeah, I went there. A great read, especially for Lord Lovers.
The Book Snoop
Great review. I didn’t reallize Gena was with Harlequin. Hmmm
Jennifer L. Bielman
@Book Snoop – Thanks. Yup, Harlequin. Thanks for joining, too. Can’t wait to check out your site.